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Gardeners' Notes:

Botanica Encyclopedia:
This upright, deciduous shrub (evergreen in warmer climates) from temperate Asia is the most frost hardy of the genus. It flowers freely in summer in varying shades of white, pink, soft red, mauve and violet blue. The single, semi-double flowers are bell-shaped and are borne in the axils of the leaves. It has small, hairless leaves and grows to 12' tall with a spread of 3-6'. Prune to shape in the first 2 years of growth, trimming lightly thereafter to maintain compact form.